Secret Admirer
by moondustbeam
Summary: Kiku Honda is the only openly gay student at his school and is picked on for this daily. Alfred Jones is the new quarterback with the girls hanging all over him. But one day, Kiku starts to get love notes from a stranger in his locker... Ameripan. Rated M for slurs. Oneshot. COMPLETE.


**Surprise! Merry Christmas, Ameripan shippers! I have a quick oneshot for all of you. I bet you weren't expecting it, eh? Enjoy~ (Warning for racial slurs and gay bashing, which I am not for because I am gay myself. And also not a racist idiot. I do not condone the hate speech in this fic.)**

Kiku Honda was running away from people yet again.

"Hey, faggot! Are you running away like some goddamn pussy again?"

Yes. Yes, he was. Because he was small and scrawny, and all the kids who were throwing slurs at him were around 5'10" and looked like they were in a protein shake commercial. Kiku was not in the mood to be beaten today.

"Where'd he go?"

"He's heading to the gym. Get him!"

Kiku ran as fast as his short legs would carry him. Hopefully, if a class were going on, the kids wouldn't be able to do anything to him. He bolted over to the door, hearing the kids hot on his heels. The large, metal door was swung open, and…

It was empty.

Kiku could feel himself going pale. He'd had a nice life, he supposed. His friends Ludwig and Feliciano could come to the funeral. His dog, Pochi, would mourn over his grave in a photo that would eventually be spread around the Internet to show the connection a dog and its master had. All of Kiku's salmon would go to his father, and-

"There you are, you chink fag."

"Two slurs in one. Buy one get one free deal?" Kiku asked with a chuckle. Then he debated what color his casket would be.

"What?" said the kid, cracking his large knuckles.

Kiku gulped. He was already fucked, so he might as well keep going. "Were those words too big for you?" he asked.

"You're reeeally cocky for such a tiny faggot," said the kid behind him. Kiku turned around quickly, not even knowing that someone was there. All he saw was a blur of flesh speeding at his face, then nothing but blackness.

X

"Kiku, you have to get a bodyguard or something," said Kiku's auburn-haired and cheerful friend.

Feliciano was swinging his hands merrily along, bundled up with a fur coat and mittens. Kiku himself was absolutely freezing, and the bruise on his face really didn't make anything better. Feliciano and Ludwig taking him to a football game was nice, but Kiku really wasn't a sports person. His friends were just trying to cheer him up because they cared about him. The only two people who did, really. But he had friends, so that's all that mattered. Not the amount.

He walked down the pathway to the football field, not hearing people making fun of him for being gay a single time. That was a first. Probably because people didn't notice. Kiku was the only openly gay kid at a conservative school in Alabama. He was one of the only non-white kids as well. So his life was going swimmingly. He got letters from people who poured out their homophobia onto paper and stuck it to his locker. The school had to cover up the word "faggot" on his locker at least once a week. Kiku swore that his locker was inches thicker than the others due to all the times it had been painted over.

And it's not like the school cared, either. They only painted over it because they didn't want to look bad. Nobody ever asked him how he felt, stood up for him, or told the students not to hate him. They told him to act less gay, or just defend himself for once. It was great advice. Kiku tried so hard not to "act gay" by not having sex with men right in front of everyone. And with his amazing build, he could fight off anyone that came his way. Honestly, why hadn't he thought of it before? It was the best advice.

Kiku pulled his jacket closer to him and shivered from the cold. Honestly, that was the only advice people had for him? He wasn't flamboyant, and even if he were he didn't see why people should hate him. And with Kiku's scrawny build, he couldn't even do a pull-up. He also got asked why he bombed Pearl Harbor, and what kind of rice is was going to eat for lunch. It really was a sickening life he lived. Not because of his choices, but because of the choices of others.

"We have a new quarterback," Ludwig said as he lead the group to a few seats away from everyone else. "They say he's really good. A freshman. All the girls have been on him since he got here a few weeks ago."

Oh, boy. Another homophobic jock to beat Kiku to pieces. He stared out onto the football field as the music started up. Kiku was sitting quite close to the fence, so he hoped he wasn't hit by a football. He already suffered enough blows to the face at school.

The football players all jogged out onto the field. All of the people who hated Kiku. Why did he even go? To watch all the guys who beat him up show off how good they were at something he was terrible at? Might as well.

"Thank you!" said the coach as the cheering died down. "And let me introduce the new quarterback, Alfred Jones!"

The football player next to him, a very well-built one, took off his helmet.

And Kiku melted.

Alfred had eyes that were so blue they pierced right into your soul. His hair was shaggy and dirty blonde, but it framed his strong cheekbones perfectly. He was sturdy and tanned, and his teeth were so white that he looked like he belonged on a billboard. Kiku couldn't help but stare at the football player in complete and utter shock, and nearly died as those blue eyes scanned the crowd and looked straight into his. He could have sworn Alfred stared at him, but was probably just looking past him. Or thinking, 'Hey, that's the little bitch my buddies said they beat up. I'll make sure to slap him around a little when I see him.'

The game started, and Kiku watched with very little interest. He would only watch Alfred the whole time, who seemed to be scoring the most points. And whenever Alfred looked over in Kiku's direction, he assumed it was all in his imagination.

X

"Faggot…"

Kiku read the word on his locker out loud and sighed. Could they at least think of something more original? It was getting old. He heard a few people snickering behind him as they walked past and read the words plastered to his locker, telling him what he was. They were probably the ones who wrote it and thought they were really upsetting them. The joke was on them. Kiku was already broken a long time ago.

Kiku took a deep breath and opened his locker. He would get letters that people slid through the holes in his locker, and they certainly weren't telling him how great he was.

"Oh, Alfred, you're so funny!"

Kiku twitched at the sound of the name. Alfred? As in the quarterback? He didn't dare turn around and see what all the fuss was about, lest he be called out for something stupid.

"Ew, Honda."

The silence was nice while it lasted.

He heard a pack of girls laughing and slammed his locker shut. Really, what was their problem? Ever since people had found out he was gay, only two students in the whole school didn't have a problem with him. Was it really that big of a deal? If Kiku had a dime for every time the whole "Adam and Steve" quote was thrown at him, he'd be loaded.

"Honda?" he heard Alfred ask. It wasn't anything acidic, it was merely said with a curious intent.

"Yeah." A girl popped her gum. "He's a fag. Come on, Alfred."

Alfred was led away by a chorus of giggling, but Kiku wasn't aware that Alfred was watching him out of the corner of his eye. The boy was just called a fag right in front of him. Alfred felt his stomach begin to knot up. This was how the students treated gay people?

Well then...he'd better not tell anyone that he was gay.

X

Alfred noticed that nearly every student in the school picked on Kiku Honda. Girls, boys, and even teachers. The teachers would ignore anything said to Kiku, no matter what the comment. Every time Alfred ran into Kiku in the hallway, someone was laughing at him.

How could they pick on someone so cute?

Kiku was Asian, with almond-shaped eyes that were the color of melted chocolate. His complexion was completely smooth and flawless, and his hair was completely straight and black, with an adorable fringe that swept across his forehead. And Kiku was adorably tiny, like a little doll. Really, he couldn't have been over five feet tall. He was too cute.

But how would Alfred tell him that? He was still in the closet. Nobody knew he was gay, not even the girls he had dated. He desperately wanted a boyfriend, but was too scared to let anyone know. He feared the backlash he would get from his father, brother, and whole entire school. But Kiku...Alfred couldn't stop staring the night he saw him on the football field. Kiku looked adorable when he was all bundled up. But Alfred noticed a purple mark near Kiku's eye...if that was a bruise, the person who did it would be sorry once Alfred got ahold of him. Kiku was too precious for anyone to hurt him.

Alfred was walking down the hall near Kiku's locker, which had been freshly painted. The school told Kiku that he would have to paint over his own locker now, since they were tired of doing it. Alfred had watched as Kiku sprayed blue paint over the horrible word, holding the can in his delicate fingers. However, Kiku had gone onto class, and a new cluster of students were by his locker. They giggled as they put a slip of paper through the metal slits in the locker, then ran away while laughing amongst themselves.

What was the paper? Alfred decided to wait until after school to see what it said. When the time came, he stood near Kiku's locker and waited to see what Kiku looked like as he read the note. The boy opened his locker, then glared at the piece of paper. He slowly unfolded it with trembling hands.

_"hey, fag. saw you checking out the football team at the game. can you stop? they're not into you. you're just being gross and creepy. kthanksbye."_

Alfred watched as Kiku looked like he was going to cry. He then threw the note into the large trashcan to the side of the hall, then wiped at his eyes. Kiku promised he'd never cry when people said things like that to him, but there's only so much a human being can take.

Alfred kept his eye on the note until Kiku left, then made a beeline for the trashcan. He read the note out loud, then let out a little gasp. People spoke to Kiku like this? But Kiku seemed kind, just from the few times Alfred saw him interact with people. He always told people he didn't want any trouble as they hurled him against a locker as they passed him in the hall, or smiled at other people until they decided to assume he was hitting on them. He wasn't hurting anyone.

But people were hurting him.

X

Kiku trudged over to his locker the next day, emotionally exhausted from thinking about another day at school. Another day with kids making fun of him nonstop. And was that...a piece of paper sticking out of his locker? Another hate message to start his day off right. He pulled out the thin slip and let his eyes scan over the page.

_"Hey, dude. Just wanted to tell you that it's not cool how people treat you. And I can't find the words to express it, but...I think you're cute. And I'm a guy. I'm not going to tell you who I am, in fear that I might be made fun of. But I really want you to know that, okay? Not everyone is a jerk. I think you're pretty great."_

Was this a joke? Nobody had ever been so nice to Kiku before...it had to be. Kiku had never gotten a nice note before. It was only notes calling him horrible things, not uplifting him. Nevertheless, he put the note in his pocket before grabbing his books and walking away, unaware that someone was watching him to see his reaction.

As Kiku rounded the corner, he saw a group of boys who were waiting for him. Oh, boy. They were probably waiting to tell him what a great person he was.

"Hey, chink."

Nope. Racial slurs.

"Please excuse me," said Kiku with a hint of sarcasm. He moved to get out of the way, but the kids stepped in front of him. Kiku knew this game all too well. They'd block his path and ask him what he was going to do in a mocking tone. Then they'd get bored and move on.

But before the game could even begin, Alfred Jones came walking up to the football players. He laughed and fist bumped a few of them, then led them away to the cafeteria.

Kiku couldn't help but watch as Alfred left. God, he was handsome. The boy had to be over six feet. Kiku's limbs were small and thin, but he liked boys who looked the opposite of himself. Tall, muscular...and attractive. Nothing that he was.

He remembered the note in his pocket and gripped the paper in his fingers. It was still there. Someone had actually called him cute, and it wasn't a dream. Maybe someone cared about him…

Or maybe they didn't. After all, life wasn't a fairy tale.

X

_"I found the way to describe your eyes. They're like chocolate. Dark chocolate, which is better than milk. It's sweet, just like you. Anyway, I hope you have a good day."_

_"I really don't think that kid punching you was a smart idea. Little douchebag...he'll get what's coming to him. You're great, Kiku. Remember that."_

_"I heard that you have a dog. I don't have one, but I have two cats. Does that count? I liked your sweater yesterday. You looked adorable in it."_

A note was left for Kiku almost every single day. They were always written on little note cards instead of cheap notebook paper, and always lacked a signature. The handwriting was neat and blocky, but clearly something a boy would write with. What boy could possibly like Kiku? And better yet, what person would ever think he was "great"? Kiku could feel his eyes stinging with tears, so he shoved the notes in his pocket.

Feliciano and Ludwig found him in the hallway after that, then asked if he wanted to go to the big game with them.

"Christmas game; they always have one before break," said Ludwig. "It's stupid, really. But you'd get to see all the football players freeze to death."

Kiku liked the sound of that.

X

It was freezing outside.

Alfred tried his hardest to warm himself up, but knew that he'd be out there and running soon enough. That would warm him up. He huffed breaths of warm air onto his hands and wondered if Kiku was going to show up. He liked the scarf that he wore last time because it made his face look even cuter. Maybe he'd wear it again? Gosh, Alfred sure hoped so.

"Good luck out there, Alfred!" yelled a cheerleader as she blew a kiss to him. Alfred merely smiled to be polite. He wasn't interested in those girls, but they sure liked him. He had to pretend that he loved all the affection, though, after seeing how people treated Kiku.

As the players ran out onto the field, Alfred scanned the crowd for Kiku. Where was he? He was with a tall, blonde man and a boy with brownish hair last time...were either of them his boyfriend? Probably not, since nobody mentioned a boyfriend. He really hoped they were Kiku's friends. Nobody could go through everything Kiku went through without any friends.

Alfred finally spotted a head of jet black hair and scrunched his eyes to see better. He couldn't wear his glasses when playing, so it made it harder for him to see. But he'd recognize someone as cute as Kiku no matter how blurry his vision was. Sure enough, it was the handsome boy he'd been watching in the hallway, looking bored out of his mind. Alfred didn't even hear the whistle as he stared at Kiku's soft hair, his cute sweater, watching how lithe and delicate his hands were-

Alfred hit the ground with a thud. Another player had tackled him to the ground because he wasn't even paying attention. God, did Kiku see that? Alfred felt his face flush hot with embarrassment.

He tried his hardest not to stare at Kiku as he played. But with Kiku's mysterious and unbelievably handsome demeanor, he couldn't help but glance at him from time to time.

What would he say in his next note? There were too many things to name, really. Everything about Kiku was cute. Even his name was cute. Alfred had googled it and found out the word meant "chrysanthemum" in Japanese. A flower...Kiku was definitely like a flower. Yeah, he would say that. He was just like his name, a gorgeous flower.

"Jones!" someone yelled. "What are you doing?"

Alfred looked at Kiku one last time before trying to focus on the game. He'd need to save that last image in his head. Win the game for Kiku, he told himself. Win it for him.

X

Kiku liked to speak with his teachers after school, but that resulted in him having less people to hide himself with. The less crowded the hallways, the easier it was to spot him. That's why Kiku made a mad dash to his locker, trying his hardest to hurry. He shuffled his books around before noticing another note written on the same stationary.

_"You're so cute, you know that? Everything about you is cute. Kiku is a type of flower, right? That's what you are. A flower. Because you're beautiful in every way."_

Kiku murmured as he read the note aloud, then turned a bright red. Beautiful? Cute? Yeah, right. What was cute about him? His oversized sweaters? His straight, plain hair? He didn't have anything that was really noticeable about himself…

But little did he know, Alfred Jones always watched Kiku as he opened each letter. His last class of the day was right across the hall from Kiku's locker, so he watched to see Kiku's reaction. He wanted to make him happy, so he liked seeing what words made him the happiest to hear.

"He liked being called 'beautiful'," Alfred muttered as he scribbled on a notepad. Among the things on the list were the words "sweet", "great", and "adorable". Everything that came to mind whenever he saw Kiku.

"...doing here, fag?"

Alfred heard some muffled voices and quickly snapped his head up to see. A few of the boys on the football team were gathered around Kiku, getting in his face and yelling at him. They had the note Alfred had written in their hands, snickering and shaking Kiku by the shoulders. Alfred had distracted them last time, and he would do it again.

"Hey, fellas!" he said as he strolled over to them. "Coach needs you in the gym. Pronto."

They gave Kiku one last shove before leaving him alone. One boy patted Alfred on the back as they walked by, and Alfred faked a smile in response. As soon as they rounded the corner, Alfred decided it was his chance to speak to Kiku.

"Hey!" he yelled, a little too loudly. Oops. Kiku jolted and turned around slowly, scared of what Alfred was planning on doing to him.

"Your name is Kiku, right?"

Kiku nodded slowly, putting his books in front of his face to shield him from any blow. After all, Alfred was a lot more muscular than the other football players. That's why he was the quarterback. However, he showed no hint of malice or ill intent behind those baby blue eyes. He actually looked like he was really shy.

"I-I'm A-Alfred," Alfred said while looking down at his feet. He didn't mean to stutter, but Kiku made him so nervous with how cute he was. He wanted to seem cool, but failed miserably. Alfred scuffed his sneakers on the linoleum.

"I know who you are," Kiku responded coldly.

"Really? Well, I am making a name for myself lately," said Alfred with a small and shy grin.

"Yeah. See you."

Kiku turned to leave, but Alfred didn't really know what to say. He tried his hardest to give a sincere goodbye, but ended up blurting out nonsense.

"Y-yeah! And if they're ever mean to you again, let me know! Bye!"

Both Alfred and Kiku felt their faces flush.

X

_"Every time I see you in the morning, it really wakes me up. I'm not a morning person, but your face is always so bright and handsome. Have a good day."_

Who was this stranger? Kiku couldn't help but read the note over and over. He was sure that someone was playing a prank on him. Nobody wrote notes that cheesy. And there was no way that anyone in the school was gay except for him.

Kiku folded the note up neatly and put it in his pocket. After the jocks took the one from yesterday away from him, Kiku tried to put them out of sight as quickly as possible.

He closed his locker and sighed. Really, why would anyone like him? The bell was ringing in his ears, but Kiku didn't care. All I could feel was something numb and empty, tugging at him and telling him this whole thing was a joke. Nobody really liked him or cared for him. He had friends, but he couldn't talk to them about serious issues. His father wasn't really around, and his sister was only a little girl. Sure, she loved him, but he couldn't pour out his feelings to a child.

He was alone. And he was feeling tears tugging at his eyes. He had to hold them back in case someone caught him and called him names again.

Alfred was watching him as he cried. He didn't like being called handsome, apparently. Alfred wrote down "Handsome makes him CRY!" in the notebook. He really didn't want to see Kiku crying. And he wasn't leaving to go to his next class...just how upset was he?

Alfred glanced over at his teacher's desk. Maybe there was something he'd be able to give to Kiku...like a present. There were several candy canes sitting in a mug. Surely nobody would notice if Alfred just took one…

Kiku was still by his locker, trying to swallow the lump in his throat, when Alfred walked over to him. He looked strange, as if he were nervous. Alfred was tugging at his jacket, struggling to make eye contact, but clearly wanting to speak with Kiku.

"M-Merry C-C-Christmas," he managed to say. His eyes were glued to the floor as he held out a stiffened hand. In it was a single candy cane, red and white striped.

"Thank you, Alfred," Kiku sniffed. He couldn't believe that Alfred had caught him crying. He looked like some sort of weak loser.

"No problem. I-I'll see you."

Alfred ran away as fast as he could. With only two more days left before Christmas break, how was he going to find out more about Kiku? He knew Kiku was a junior, liked cute things since his notebooks were always cute, was considered a loser, and was...gay.

The last word made Alfred freeze up. Just thinking about it...it made him uncomfortable. He'd said it in front of his mirror countless times. He knew that he liked boys, and there was no denying it. When his father, his brother, and Alfred all moved to Alabama, Alfred swore that he would get a boyfriend and come out of the closet. But after seeing how everyone treated Kiku, he couldn't do it. Not after everyone liked Alfred. But if Kiku were gay...that meant Alfred had a chance. And Alfred had to take it.

X

Well, Kiku's life was utter hell.

Being backed up against the wall of the gym didn't sound like fun, and it certainly wasn't. Not when a bunch of boys were looming over you after they'd chased you inside for the second time in one week.

"Jones isn't into you, fucking queer. Were you trying to flirt with him yesterday? That's so nasty, dude."

A kick to the stomach sent a burning sensation through Kiku. He cried out for help, only to be met with laughter and more blows to the stomach. He just wanted it to stop. He wanted everything to stop. He wanted to start is life over, wipe the slate clean. Nobody would know he was gay, and his life wouldn't be miserable.

Another kick, but this time to the head. It made the whole room start to spin, and Kiku wanted to throw up. Why him? Why did they want to beat him up so badly? He didn't think he'd ever done anything wrong.

"Hey guys, I was trying to find the...what the fuck are you doing?!"

Kiku's vision was hazy and he vomited all over the gym floor.

"Get off of him! Kiku, are you okay?"

Everything was going dark.

"What the fuck is wrong with y'all? Kiku? Kiku!"

Kiku slumped over on the floor.

X

When Kiku awoke, he was sitting in the back of a truck that was going down the road. Kiku felt nauseous from being in a moving vehicle, but forced himself to sit up. He felt something slightly heavy on him, so he looked down to see a brown bomber jacket draped across him.

"You're awake? Sit back down, man. Wait until we get to my house."

Kiku wasn't even sure of who was speaking to him. He felt completely weak and dehydrated. The whole thing was a dream. So he forced himself to sit down once more, laying on the soft leather exterior of the car. The seats were heated, which comforted Kiku in the cold of the winter.

The car came to a stop a few minutes later, and the driver got out and ran to Kiku's door. Kiku kept his eyes closed, but could have sworn he saw a flash of blonde hair through his fluttering vision.

"Okay now...let's get you out of here…"

A hand reached down and grabbed Kiku behind the knees, another on his back. With the jacket still on him, Kiku was lifted out of the car by the stranger. They trudged up the driveway, Kiku's eyes struggling to open.

"Shh, it's okay. I've got you...Dad! Matt! Come and help me!"

A warm and earth toned house with the scent of candles filled the room. A cat hung around the stranger's feet, Kiku noticed, purring and rubbing all over him.

"Go away, Burger...Matt! Where are you?"

"Hold your damn horses, Alfred!" shouted someone coming from Kiku's left.

Wait...did he say Alfred? Kiku finally opened his eyes, just in time to watch as Alfred Jones set him gently on the couch.

"Who is this?" asked a boy with shoulder-length, wavy, honey-colored hair.

"Classmate...kinda. We don't have any classes together, but I see him around."

The boy with long hair, Matt, adjusted his glasses as he stared at Kiku. Matt looked a hell of a lot like Alfred, Kiku noticed, almost like they were identical. If it weren't for the hair, he wondered how anyone could tell them apart. However, Matt looked a little bit older than Alfred. His face hinted that he was in his twenties, though it was hard to say.

Kiku groaned as he took in his surroundings. The house had warm colors everywhere, with a vanilla scent wafting around. A Christmas tree was set up in the corner, and a giant picture was on the mantle above a lit fireplace. Alfred, Matt, a man with giant eyebrows and blonde hair, and a woman with light brown hair tied up in a bun.

"What happened to him?" Matt asked.

"Some kids at school beat him up."

Kiku moaned. "...For being gay," he said as he winced in pain.

Matt stared at him, wide-eyed in shock. "Why would they beat you up for that? God, southern people can be so bigoted. There's nothing wrong with being gay, man. I'm sorry that happened to you."

Alfred looked at his older brother. He'd thought there was nothing wrong with being gay? He never knew that Matthew thought like that. Maybe he could confide in his brother after all.

"I'll go get you some water," Matt offered as he walked off to the kitchen. "You sound hoarse. Or Sprite, since that helps with an upset stomach. You want Sprite?"

Kiku nodded, and Alfred confirmed his answer for Matt. Alfred looked around like he didn't know what to do, until Kiku spoke up.

"Thank you for helping me, Alfred."

Alfred shrugged his shoulders like it was nothing. He didn't want to seem like he was a braggart or anything, even though he really wanted to show off how heroic he was back there.

"I hope you don't find anything wrong with being gay."

Oh, if only Kiku knew.

"I don't!" Alfred insisted as he came around the couch and sat next to Kiku. "Though you might be the only gay person at our school. Or, you know, the only one who is out." Alfred twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"Nah, there's at least one more. I've been getting notes from a secret admirer," Kiku scoffed. "But it's probably a prank. I don't think anyone would actually like me…"

That pained Alfred to hear, considering he had a huge crush on Kiku. He was going to say something, until Matt returned with the Sprite.

"I'll go get Dad," he said before he walked upstairs.

Alfred turned his attention back to Kiku. "Why would you even think that?"

"I guess it's low self-esteem," Kiku said as he sipped the drink. "After you hear everyone telling you how low you are for three years straight, you start to believe it yourself. And every time I look in the mirror, I don't see anything good about myself."

Hearing that broke Alfred's heart. Kiku hated himself just as much as everyone else hated him. He wanted to tell him that someone really liked him.

"So that's why I think it's fake. It's a student messing with me, I know. There's no way in hell someone would really send me those."

No, someone really likes you. They're real! I'm real! Alfred thought all of this, but bit his lip. He wasn't sure if Kiku would even like him back, how could he-

"Nobody will ever like me in that way," said Kiku as he swirled a delicate finger around the rim of the cup. "Nobody ever will, and I don't-"

"I wrote those letters."

Alfred said it without even thinking. Kiku whipped his head around and stared at Alfred in complete and utter shock, unable to think of a response.

"I-I have proof...hold on…" Alfred reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small memo pad. He flipped over a few sheets of paper before reaching the one that had his notes on it.

"See? I write down your reactions...wow, I hope that's not creepy. But I wrote you all of those. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kiku's face was flushed in anger, and his eyes were completely glazed over. Alfred didn't know what he'd said to make him upset, so he just sat, completely frozen.

"Did you think that would be funny? Because it's not. You jock types are all the same, you like to mess with people like me, who are way too gullible and hoping for a little something happy in their life, so you prank us-"

Alfred cupped Kiku's face with both of his hands and stared into his eyes.

"I wrote those while being sincere. I meant them. I'm in the closet, Kiku, and I like you. Okay?"

It was Kiku's turn to be speechless. Alfred Jones, the star quarterback, liked him? All of it was way too sudden, and way too good to be true. He stared at Alfred, who didn't look like he was joking. He had a pleading look on his face, as if he were begging Kiku to believe him.

"Really? You?"

"Yes! I would slip those notes into your locker and watch you read them. I saw you come to my game that one night, and I...you were too cute…"

Alfred was embarrassed that he'd just spilled what he thought about Kiku right in front of the boy. He looked up with his oh-so-blue eyes, hoping that Kiku believed him.

"You...you like me?"

"Yeah."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"And you're not joking?"

"I am serious, I promise."

Kiku Honda actually had someone who liked him. And he was cute, too. _Really_ cute. He was incredibly handsome. He rescued Kiku several times, wrote him love letters, took him to his house and confessed that he had a crush on him…

"Those letters were cheesy, you know," said Kiku with a smile.

"I know. I meant it, though."

There was an awkward pause between the two of them, until Alfred suggested that they watch a movie. He dimmed the lights so that only the glow of the Christmas tree and the fireplace remained. It was going to be awkward, watching a movie with a boy he'd just met, but Alfred knew that there was a possibility of Kiku liking him. And Kiku couldn't believe his luck. They hoped they'd get to know each other and learn even more about this person who liked them despite their circumstances.

"You should go make them some popcorn for them," a man with bushy eyebrows whispered.

"You've got to give me my twenty dollars first, Dad. I told you he was gay."

end

**The mom was female France. She probably died or divorced Arthur, I dunno. Sorry if this felt rushed, but it was just a quick idea for a oneshot that I felt like writing.**


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